Bridge scaffold apparatus



Feb. 5, 1963 H. L. GOODELL BRIDGE SCAFFOLD APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3. 1960INVENTOR HARVEY L. Goooeu.

vwuunzu United States Patent Office 3,076,522 BRIDGE SCAFFOLD APPARATUSHarvey L. Goodeli, Montgomery, Ala. (1130 River Hill Drive, KentonHills, Covington, Ky.)

Filed Oct. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 59,918

8 Claims. (Cl. 182 l? The present invention relates to scailolds ingeneral and in particular to a scaffold for use on bridges.

In the construction and maintenance of bridges, the erection movementand dismantling of scaffolding presents a major problem. It is a timeconsuming and expensive procedure to erect scaffolding between each pairof piers supporting a bridge for the purpose of providing support forthe construction and maintenance workers such as carpenters, painters orthe like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a scaffold apparatuswhich may be erected so as to straddle a bridge without interruptingtraffic over the bridge and one which may be readily shifted from oneend of the bridge to the other with ease and facility, the apparatusproviding support for workmen constructing, painting orrepairing ti ebridge under structure.

Another object is to provide a scaffolding apparatus for use, in anelevated roadway or bridge which has a walkway swingable from a positiontransversely of the roadway to a position in which it may be moved fromone side to the other side of a pier, without dismantling the scaffoldapparatus.

A further object is to provide a scaifold apparatus for a bridge whichlends itself to eflicient use by painters or others, is easily andquickly assembled and disassembled, and one which is economicallyfeasible.

These objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understoodfrom the following description when considered with the attacheddrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the presentinvention shown on a bridge.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary exploded view, on an enlarge scale, showingthe roller means for supporting the walkway.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bridge scaffold apparatus is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 14 and is adapted to be moved alongthe roadway ll) of a bridge or the like having a curb 12. The apparatus14 comprises a horizontal frame 16 that is supported in verticallyspaced relation to the roadway by wheels 18, as. The apparatus 14further includes vertical frames 22, 24- that extend downwardly from theends of the horizontal frame l6 below the roadway 10 of the bridge;Frames 16, 22 and 24 are made of conventional box-type members.

Walkway members Zd'are mounted on the lower ends of vertical frames 22,24 for swinging movement through an arc of 360 degrees. As shown in FIG.3, a horizontal ring 4ft of tubular construction is fixed on the lowerend of each vertical frame 22, 24 and rollers 38a, 38!; mounted on eachwalkway 2d engage the tube 40 to swingably mount the walkway on thelower end of its respective vertical frame. As further shown in FIG. 3,the roller 33a adjacent the end of walkway 26 engages the underside ofthe tube at while the roller 3312 which is furthest from the end of thewalkway 26 is mounted by a bracket 4 so that it engages the uppersurface of the tube 40. In this manner, each walkway 26 has a cantilevermounting on the lower end of its respective vertical frame and may beswung through 360 degrees. The movement of the walkway 26 can beachieved manually without any mechanical device or, alternatively, canbe accomplished by a winch assembly 36 that includes a cable 42 that3,976,522 Patented Feb. 5, 1963 workman can stand on floors 28 thereofin order to con struct, inspect, repair or otherwise maintain thebridge. When it is desired to move the scaffold apparatus to a newposition, the walkways 26 are swung outwardly permitting the entireapparatus to be rolled along the roadway ill. in order to facilitate themovement of the apparatus along the roadway, a winch assembly 30 isprovided on the apparatus and the ends of the cable 44 thereof isadapted to be fastened to a fixed point on the bridge so that actuationof the winch assembly 3t will cause the apparatus to move along theroadway 10. A winch assembly 3d is provided on either one or both of thevertical frames 22, 2 2.

I claim:

1. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on oneend of said mobile frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobile frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, and a horizontally disposed walkway mounted on saidsupport member for swinging movement in clockwise and counterclockwisedirections of said walkway about said support member as a vertical axisinto and out of position below for the purpose of treating the undersideof said roadway.-

2. A scaifold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on oneend of said mobile frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobile frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, and a horizontally disposed walkway normallydisposed at small angles with or in longitudinal alignment with respectto said frame and with one end adjacent the lower end of said supportmember, means connecting said one end of said walkway to said supportmember for swinging movement of said walkway from the normal positionbelow and in longis tndinal alignment to said frame to a positionperpendicular to said frame, said Walkway, when said mobile framestraddles and rests upon an elevated roadway, being of a length toextend beneath said roadway and adapted to support workmen thereon forthe purpose of treating the underside of said roadway.

3. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on oneend of said mobile frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobile frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, and a horizontally disposed walkway, means formounting said walkway on the lower end of said support member forswinging movement about said support member as a vertical axis into andout of position below and in longitudinal alignment with said frame,said means comprising a ring mounted on the lower end of said supportmember, at least one roller adjacent the outer end of said walkway andadapted to engage the underside of said ring, and at least one rollermounted on the walkway and adapted to engage the upper side of saidring, said latter roller being spaced inwardly from the end of thewalkway, whereby said walkway is mounted on said support member in acantilever fashion.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 including hand operated meansfor swinging said walkway about said support member.

5. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, means on said frame for facilitating movement of saidframe longitudinally of said roadway, a vertically disposed supportmember mounted on one end of said mobile frame and having a portionextending below said mobile frame, the lower end of each said supportmember extending vertically beneath said roadway, and a horizontallydisposed walkway mounted on said support member for swinging movementabout 360 degrees with said sipport member as a vertical axis, saidwalkway being adapted to extend beneath said roadway and support workmenthereon.

6. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile fame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on eachend of said mobile frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobiie frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, a herizontally disposed walkway mounted on eachsaid support member for swinging movement in clockwIse andcounterclockwise directions of said walkway about said support member asa vertical axis into and out of position below and in longitudinalalignment with said frame, each said walkway, when said mobile framestraddles and rests upon an elevated roadway, being of a length toextend across and below said roadway and adapted to support workmenthereon for the purpose of treating the underside of said roadway.

7. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame 4 adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on eachend of said mobile frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobile frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, a horizon.ally disposed walkway mounted on eachsaid support member for swinging movement in clockwise andcounterclockwise directions of said walkway about said support member asa vertical axis, each said walkway, when said mobie frame straddles andrests upon an elevated roadway, being of a length to extend across andbe.ow said roadway and adapted to support workmen thereon for thepurpose of treating the underside of said roadway, and hand operatedmeans for propel ing said mobile frame along said roadway when restingthereon.

8. A scaffold apparatus for use on an elevated roadway comprising anelongated upstanding mobile frame adapted to straddle and rest upon anelevated roadway, a vertically disposed support member mounted on eachend of said mob'le frame and having a portion extending below saidmobile frame, the lower end of said mobile frame extending verticallybeneath the roadway, a horizontally disposed walkway on each saidsupport member normally disposed at small angles with or in longitudinalalignment with respect to said frame and with one end adjacent the lowerend of said support member, means connecting said one end of each saidwalkway to said support member for swinging movement of said walkwayfrom the normal position below and in longitudinal alignment to saidframe to a position perpendicular to said frame, each said walkway, whensaid mobile frame straddles and rests upon an elevated roadway, being ofa length to extend across and below said roadway and adapted to supportworkmen thereon for the purpose of treating the unders'de of saidroadway, and hand operated means for propelling said mobile frame alongsaid roadway when resting thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,718,979 Protzeller July 2, 1929 2,639,950 Wheeler May 26, 19532,669,490 Kaufman Feb. 16, 1954

8. A SCAFFOLD APPARATUS FOR USE ON AN ELEVATED ROADWAY COMPRISING ANELONGATED UPSTANDING MOBILE FRAME ADAPTED TO STRADDLE AND REST UPON ANELEVATED ROADWAY, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SUPPORT MEMBER MOUNTED ON EACHEND OF SAID MOBILE FRAME AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING BELOW SAIDMOBILE FRAME, THE LOWER END OF SAID MOBILE FRAME EXTENDING VERTICALLYBENEATH THE ROADWAY, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WALKWAY ON EACH SAIDSUPPORT MEMBER NORMALLY DISPOSED AT SMALL ANGLES WITH OR IN LONGITUDINALALIGNMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRAME AND WITH ONE END ADJACENT THE LOWEREND OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID ONE END OF EACH SAIDWALKWAY TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID WALKWAYFROM THE NORMAL POSITION BELOW AND IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT TO SAIDFRAME TO A POSITION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FRAME, EACH SAID WALKWAY, WHENSAID MOBILE FRAME STRADDLES AND RESTS UPON AN ELEVATED ROADWAY, BEING OFA LENGTH TO EXTEND ACROSS AND BELOW SAID ROADWAY AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORTWORKMEN THEREON FOR THE PURPOSE OF TREATING THE UNDERSIDE OF SAIDROADWAY, AND HAND OPERATED MEANS FOR PROPELLING SAID MOBILE FRAME ALONGSAID ROADWAY WHEN RESTING THEREON.